Showing posts with label Retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Retelling. Show all posts

Everland by Wendy Spinale

Title: Everland
Author: Wendy Spinale
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: May 10th 2016
Source: Audiobook from Scholastic Audio. Thank you Scholastic!

Summary from Goodreads:
Forget the story of Peter Pan you know. Because in Everland, the only way to grow up is to survive.

London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived are children, among them Gwen Darling and her siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the ruthless Marauders -- the German Army led by Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer.

Unsure if the virus has spread past England's borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook hunts for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the survivors. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until the day they grab Joanna. As Gwen sets out to save her, she meets a mysterious boy named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city hidden underground. But in a place where help has a steep price and every promise is bound by blood, it will cost Gwen. And are she, Pete, the Lost Boys, and Bella enough to outsmart Captain Hook?

Review

I listened to the audio book version of Everland, it was fantastic, I love multiple narrators, especially ones with British accents.  The chapters are either told from HOOK or Gwen's point of view, which is a nice change since you do not always get to hear the story from the villain's POV.

Everland is a unique and dark re-telling of Peter Pan just without the fantasy and fairy tale aspects. This story is a darker more post-apocalyptic version of the original fairy tale.  London has been plagued with a disease and there is only one cure that both Pete and Hook are after.  It was fun to pick out all the subtle and some  less subtle traces of the original story in this creative retelling.

Everland is a very plot-driven book with a focus on the search for a cure and hope in saving those that are sick.  Parts of the story line were easily predictable but that never took away from my overall enjoyment of the book.  I definitely recommend Everland if you are look for a fairly romance free but high adventure story!



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Blog Tour: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard




Title: Roses and Rot
Author: Kat Howard
Publisher: Saga Press
Release Date: May 17th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:
Imogen and her sister Marin have escaped their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, be it art or love.

What would you sacrifice in the name of success? How much does an artist need to give up to create great art?

Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program—Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.


About Kat Howard

Kat Howard lives in New Hampshire. Her short fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, anthologized in year's best and best of collections, and performed on NPR. Roses and Rot is her debut novel. You can find her on twitter at @KatWithSword.

Also, Shane Leonard took her photo, and she's super grateful.


Review


Roses and Rot was everything I was hoping for yet at the same time nothing I was expecting.  The cover gives the reader this mysterious almost haunting vibe and without fail the book provides that but it also brings the reader into this magical dark world of tithes and faeries.  A world that while at times haunting it was also intriguing and desirable. The characters are passionate, full of talent, and ready to immerse themselves in their art.  The setting perfectly matched the overall mood and writing style.

The writing style did take me a bit to get used to, each sentence and word choice felt intentional. I had to slow down my reading and really take in everything that was written, after a while I really appreciate the lovely prose.  The plot is interwoven with narratives from Imogen's writing - dark brutally honest and harsh fairy tales.  The fairy tales that don't always bring a smile to your face and do have true evil in them.

There was so much going on with the plot, between the secondary characters' development, the flashbacks, and the magical world of the faerie,s the plot never dulled.  I truly enjoyed being kept on my toes, nothing really transpired how I guessed it would. While there is romance in the book, the real love is the love between two sisters and what happens when that love challenged.   Roses and Rot is filled with magic, surprises, and dark fairy tales up to the very last page! 

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:
6/6: Such A Novel Idea - Playlist
6/7: Cosying Up With Books - Review
6/8: That Artsy Reader Girl - Art History Post
6/9: The Quiet Concert - Review
6/10: Fiction Fare - Q&A

Week 2:
6/13: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A
6/14: Curling Up With A Good Book - Guest Post
6/15: Lilybloombooks - Review
6/16: Reads All the Books - Review


Giveaway:

1 Finished Copy of ROSES & ROT (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel (Tyme #1) by Megan Morrison

Title: Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel
Author: Megan Morrison
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: February 2nd 2016

Summary from Goodreads:
"Think you know Rapunzel's story? Think again, because the tower was only the beginning..." -- Jennifer Nielsen, New York Times bestselling author of THE FALSE PRINCE

In all of Tyme, from the Redlands to the Grey, no one is as lucky as Rapunzel. She lives in a magic tower that obeys her every wish; she reads wonderful books starring herself as the heroine; her hair is the longest, most glorious thing in the world. And she knows this because Witch tells her so---her beloved Witch, who protects her from evil princes, the dangerous ground under the tower, even unhappy thoughts. Rapunzel can't imagine any other life.

Then a thief named Jack climbs into her room to steal one of her enchanted roses. He's the first person Rapunzel's ever met who isn't completely charmed by her (well, the first person she's met at all, really), and he is infuriating-- especially when he hints that Witch isn't telling her the whole truth. Driven by anger at Jack and her own nameless fears, Rapunzel descends to the ground for the first time, and finds a world filled with more peril than Witch promised ... and more beauty, wonder, and adventure than she could have dreamed.

Review

Grounded is a creative blend of the Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tales. Rapunzel lives in a tower and is cared for by Witch who plays a motherly role. Jack is on a mission and needs to get Rapunzel’s help. What I found to be interesting is Rapunzel reads fairy tales and is self-aware of Rapunzel books/stories.

Jack and Rapunzel do not get off to the best start seeing as Jack is the person who tries to explain to her that Witch is bad and attempts to answer all of Rapunzel's other questions.  Rapunzel is full of interesting questions, like: what is a brother or a sister? Being cooped up in the tower for her whole life, Rapunzel is naive and innocent.  She is faced with the harshness and beauty of the whole world all at once and it sometimes overwhelms her.

The book is very plot driven, as the title suggests, it is an adventure story.  While I did enjoy the book, the middle of the story does slow down a bit while Rapunzel learns more and faces challenges on her journey.  There is a cute potentially budding romance but overall Grounded focuses on the adventure and each character's back story rather than romance.  Because of this I do believe this book can be enjoyed by a younger reader as well!

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Stars Above by Marissa Meyer

Title: Stars Above
Author:Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: February 2nd 2016

Summary from Goodreads:
The enchantment continues....

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

Review

It’s no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories. When I reread the series I will be adding the short stories into their (roughly) corresponding order. It was fantastic to be back in the Lunar world and get new glimpse of characters. The stories give a nice background into the individual stories.

Carswell’s story was super cute and fun plus fit his character so well. Jacin and Winter’s story, ahhh one of my favorites. It actually made me love the couple even more!  They are adorable together and Jacin's care for Winter is just great. The Mechanic was my least favorite story but mainly because I felt like it did not provide a lot of new material.  

Stars Above ends on a wonderful perfectly high note.  I loved the Something Old , Something New story.  It was the happily ever after that I was looking for.  If you are on the fence about reading the short stories, do it!  The last one is a wonderful epilogue to one amazing series! 
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Winter by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #4
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: November 10, 2015

Summary from Goodreads:
Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?


Review

FANTASTIC, PERFECT, ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING SERIES EVER! Winter is a truly fantastic book in the epic series The Lunar Chronicles.  If you have not read the series yet, I highly recommend it.  Here are our reviews for Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Fairest in case you need further convincing.

The series beautifully all intertwines in this last book to make an epic conclusion full of action, crazy battles, and swoony romance. Princess Winter is a crazy yet endearing and sweet character that complements the rag tag group of characters.  Her unique personality gives her strength and allows her to aide the team in ways they never expected.

The relationships from the previous books continue to unfold,the plot is full of kisses and love.  Each character faces challenges that come from going to war and taking on an evil queen.  Meyer does not shy away from hard decisions, she incorporates the honesty and sometimes sadness that comes with the tough decisions that the characters are faced with. There is just so much greatness in this ending :)

Ultimately, Winter was everything I hoped for.  All 827 pages were full of romance, adventure, fantasy, and a fairy tale-ish ending.  I was sad to finish the story but without fail I know that this is a story that I will come back to again and again.

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Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Title: Ash & Bramble
Author: Sarah Prineas
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: September 15th 2015
Source:Copy provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks HarperTeen)

Summary from Goodreads:
A prince.
A ball.
A glass slipper left behind at the stroke of midnight.
The tale is told and retold, twisted and tweaked, snipped and stretched, as it leads to happily ever after.
But it is not the true Story.
A dark fortress.
A past forgotten.
A life of servitude.

No one has ever broken free of the Godmother’s terrible stone prison until a girl named Pin attempts a breathless, daring escape. But she discovers that what seems to be freedom is a prison of another kind, one that entangles her in a story that leads to a prince, a kiss, and a clock striking midnight. To unravel herself from this new life, Pin must choose between a prince and another—the one who helped her before and who would give his life for her. Torn, the only thing for her to do is trade in the glass slipper for a sword and find her own destiny.



Review

Oh, what to say, what to say.  Ash and Bramble has a beautiful cover with an interesting and unique twist on a classic fairy tale.  Unfortunately it just was not a book for me.  I immediately struggled with the word building, I felt like I was dropped right into a world that I just did not understand.  The writing style did not help the lack of world building.  The point of views change randomly, sometimes by chapter, sometimes within a chapter, something I could never really adapt to.

Aside from the story building and writing style, there was immediate insta-love.  While sometimes I am okay with that because it does happen in fairy tales, this felt a bit forced.  Then we are introduced to the dreaded love triangle, at that point I debated just not continuing but I was far to curious in how the story was going to end.

Not many aspects of this book worked for me except for the overall concept.  The book has a unique take on a classic fairy tale with some cameos from other fairy tales.  Ash & Bramble had a different and intriguing premise that kept me going through the entire book even though other aspects fell short. Ultimately, Ash & Bramble had high potential and came up a bit short.

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A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

Title: A Whole New World
Author: Liz Braswell
Publisher: Disney Press
Release Date: September 1st 2015
Source: eARC from Publisher (thanks HarperCollins!)

Summary from Goodreads:
Welcome to a new YA series that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. Each book asks the question: What if one key moment from a familiar Disney film was changed? This dark and daring version of Aladdin twists the original story with the question: What if Jafar was the first one to summon the Genie?

When Jafar steals the Genie’s lamp, he uses his first two wishes to become sultan and the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Agrabah lives in fear, waiting for his third and final wish.To stop the power-mad ruler, Aladdin and the deposed Princess Jasmine must unite the people of Agrabah in rebellion. But soon their fight for freedom threatens to tear the kingdom apart in a costly civil war.

What happens next? A Street Rat becomes a leader. A princess becomes a revolutionary. And readers will never look at the story of Aladdin in the same way again.



Review

A Whole New World takes the classic story of Aladdin and puts an interesting twist on it.  It is darker and heavier than the original focusing primarily on Aladdin and Jasmine saving Agrabah from Jafar's tyranny.  I was immediately intrigued by the plot since it took such a unique stance.  I really needed to know would a happily ever after come from this magic heavy story line.

This was not my favorite retelling, I am a huge genie fan and he plays a very different role in this book.  I missed the genie-Aladdin dynamic and the magic carpet's role which carried a lot of the movie's humor.  The beginning of the book starts off quite similar to the original then a huge dark cloud comes over Agrabah, a cloud full of war, death, and black magic.  The romance plays a secondary role to the war on Jafar, and humor is virtually missing from the entire book.

Once I stopped trying to compare this book to the classic Disney movie, I started to enjoy some of the other aspects of the story.  Friendship and teamwork are a critical component in the plots to overthrow Jafar and save the city.  Aladdin has a fantastic group of friends with great backstory that help him along the way.  Even though the genie belongs to Jafar instead of Aladdin, he is not without his trusty side kick, Abu! A Whole New World was not exactly what I was expecting but it takes different and unsuspecting twists, keeping me on my toes through the whole book.

  

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This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

Title: This Monstrous Thing
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 22nd 2015
Source: eARC from Publisher (thanks HarperCollins!)

Summary from Goodreads:
In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay…


Review

Steam-punk, moody, gothic-ly picturesque. 

This Frankenstein re-telling captures the classic from its origin, This Monstrous Thing tells the story that inspired Mary Shelly to write her world famous Frankenstein.  The characters in this book parallel the lives of both the creator and the inspiration of the classic novel.  The setting was one of my favorite aspects; I loved all the steam-punk technology within a Gothic Europe.  I could visualize the dark blues and blacks, cloudy skies, and soot covered buildings.

The technology was a huge area of political unrest.  Alasdair is a Shadow Boy, he repairs humans with steam punk body parts.  Even though he is helping people, many townspeople believe that to do such a thing would be to go against God's will.  There is a moral debate that follows the plot as an under lying theme.  Adding a subtle but interesting facet to the story.

The character development was very well done, each character was well rounded with a multi-dimensional personality and moral compass.  My one reservation was the pacing of the plot.  The plot just seemed to fall flat for me, even though I enjoyed the characters, I did not feel a strong pull towards the actual story and action.  I was not jumping to finish it nor did it leave lasting emotions. This Monstrous Thing was engaging enough with some added danger and mystery to make it an enjoyable, middle of the road,  read!

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Letters to Zell by Camille Griep

Title: Letters to Zell
Author: Camille Griep
Publisher: 47North
Release Date: July 1, 2015
Source: ARC from Publisher (thanks 47North!!)

Summary from Goodreads:
Everything is going according to story for CeCi (Cinderella), Bianca (Snow White), and Rory (Sleeping Beauty)—until the day that Zell (Rapunzel) decides to leave Grimmland and pursue her life. Now, Zell’s best friends are left to wonder whether their own passions are worth risking their predetermined “happily ever afters,” regardless of the consequences. CeCi wonders whether she should become a professional chef, sharp-tongued and quick-witted Bianca wants to escape an engagement to her platonic friend, and Rory will do anything to make her boorish husband love her. But as Bianca’s wedding approaches, can they escape their fates—and is there enough wine in all of the Realm to help them?

In this hilarious modern interpretation of the fairy-tale stories we all know and love, Letters to Zell explores what happens when women abandon the stories they didn’t write for themselves and go completely off script to follow their dreams.



Review

"Love is hard work, not magic.  There's no secret formula, there's no right person; it just takes a certain amount of chemistry and then working your ass off.  Being honest about who you are and what you want and then hoping for the best.  The magic part comes later. At least in my experience."

Letters to Zell blends real modern day issues, humor, and fantasy and then delivers it to the reader in the form of letters from some of the most famous fairy tale princesses (Snow White, Aurora, and Cinderella).  The entire book is a collection of letters written to Rapunzel from her 3 closest friends. Rapunzel never writes back and there were times throughout the story I did really want to know what she was thinking and what her response would be to some of the crazier letters.  Each character has their own unique personality and is facing their own personal struggle.  Letters to Zell tackles some tougher subjects such as happiness in marriages, infidelity, self worth, and finding true happiness.

The topics and struggles the princess face are heartfelt and expressed through their letters to Zell. The author does an excellent job of bringing out the emotions of each individual character through their own written word. Even though the princesses are facing some heavier life decisions, the author finds a way to add humor to the story and keep the reader completely engaged.  By no means is this an action heavy book; this book looks at the deeper feelings of three totally different but connected characters.

Letters to Zell is so different than any other retelling I have read; between the book's format and the unique world, I was hooked.  Each princess has to complete their 'pages' to get their happily ever after but throughout the book they learn they want more than just their classic fairy tale.  Letters to Zell is an epic story of love, friendship, and self-expression.

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Dead Upon a Time by Elizabeth Paulson

Title: Dead Upon a Time
Author: Elizabeth Paulson
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: August 25th 2015
Source: ARC from Publisher (thanks Scholastic!!)

Summary from Goodreads:
It's a fairy-tale nightmare . . .

One girl is kept in a room where every day the only food she's given is a poisoned apple. Another is kept in a room covered in needles -- and if she pricks her finger, she'll die. Then there are the brother and sister kept in a cell that keeps getting hotter and hotter. . .

A sinister kidnapper is on the loose in Kate's world. She's not involved until one day she heads to her grandmother's house in the woods -- and finds her grandmother has also been taken. Already an outcast, Kate can't get any help from the villagers who hate her. Only Jack, another outsider, will listen to what's happened.

Then a princess is taken, and suddenly the king is paying attention -- even though the girl's stepmother would rather he didn't. It's up to Kate and Jack to track down the victims before an ever after arrives that's far from happy.



Review

Dead Upon a Time is an imaginative, dark, and creepy blend of classic fairy tales in a page-turning thriller.  The main character while like-able is a town outcast.  She is constantly turned away even when truly in need.  The reader quickly feels sympathetic for the young girl.  She is alone with no parents and now has a missing grandmother (**see the hints of Red Riding Hood**).  These small hints and traces of other fairy tales were so fun to pick out and find throughout the book.  Some of the more subtle ones took me much longer to notice.  It was a great addition to the mysterious story line.

The dark mood kept me on my toes, I was surprised all the way up to the end of the book; a trait I look for in my mysteries.  The romance while typically prominent in fairy tales, was not a major factor in Dead Upon of Time.  Speaking of the romance, Jack's character was a welcome addition to the plot.  While there were hints of a developing romance it never overshadowed the suspense of the plot.

This short book is a quick read, weaving a combination of fairy tales to create an unpredictable and enjoyable book.  I definitely wish the story continued; the writing was unique, descriptive, yet concise.  I recommend Dead Upon a Time if you are looking for a creepier blend of fairy tales.  I look forward to reading more from Elizabeth Paulson.  

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Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen

Title: Beastkeeper
Author: Cat Hellisen
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Release Date:February 3rd 2015
Source: ALAMW

Summary from Goodreads:
Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She’s grown up lonely and longing for magic. She doesn’t know that it’s magic her parents are running from.

When Sarah’s mother walks out on their family, all the strange old magic they have tried to hide from comes rising into their mundane world. Her father begins to change into something wild and beastly, but before his transformation is complete, he takes Sarah to her grandparents—people she has never met, didn’t even know were still alive.

Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family bloodlines, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast . . . unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.


Review

Beastkeeper is a magical story that takes you by the hand into the mysterious forest full of secrets and adventure.  The beautiful and descriptive writing brings the characters and the setting to life.  At first I thought the story was taking place in an ordinary world until the story progressed and the magic came out of hiding.  Sarah is a strong young lady that uses both her heart and brain when making decisions.  Sarah is faced with difficult circumstances and new life challenges both of which she faces head on.

I thought Beastkeeper was going to be another well done retelling of Beauty and the Beast.  It was far different then I imagined; the story does have some traces of the classic fairy tale but Beastkeeper really makes the story its own.  I really enjoyed that while the curse does revolve around love, this story is not a love story.  It is a true good versus evil kind of fairy tale.

I highly recommend this unique fairy tale if you are in the mood for a feel good, magical, character driven book! Beastkeeper highlights strong moral values and being the better person in the toughest of situations all through the eyes of a young girl.

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Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title:Fairest
Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: January 27th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:
In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?


Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.


Review

Marissa Meyer is one truly talented author.  Fairest was a fascinating glimpse into Queen Levana's character which can pretty much be summed in a simple phrase: she is kinda crazy!  As I read, I would feel sorry for Levana then she would do something a couple chapters later that would just take away any sympathy I had for her.  Levana's sister, Cinder's mom, has definitely changed in my eyes; not her biggest fan!

Fairest really allows the reader to get a glimpse of Levana's childhood; I was able to understand why she makes some of the choices she does.  While I do not agree with a lot of her crazy train decisions, I can see her reasoning for making them.  To have a deeper explanation of a villain really gives the character depth and makes her feel more real.  Fairest also explains the dynamic between Winter and Levana which makes me so excited for the last book!

I did really enjoy the background story, the writing is fantastic, and the character history is a welcome addition to the series.  The only reason it is not 5 stars was that it lacked just a bit of punch that the other books do.  I felt like it was nice to have the history but it was merely just a longer short story. (That you should read!)


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Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Title: Winterspell
Author: Claire Legrand
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 30th 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 464 pages
Source: Bought

Summary from Goodreads:
The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor's ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother's murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted--by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they're to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets--and a need she can't define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won't leave Cane unscathed--if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.


Review

Winterspell was a captivating, magical, dark re-telling. It got a bit weird at parts but it was ultimately a pretty good story. Character wise, my favorite had to be Anise; she is a fantastic villain! She has weaknesses, a back story, and a soft side. Anise is overcome with revenge, hate, and power so she is a strong and well developed villain. Clara on the other hand got a bit annoying at times and was very quick to forgive Nicolas for his wrongdoings. The love story between the two was not my favorite for that reason; Clara’s emotions towards him shifted so quickly throughout the story.

The writing was quite descriptive yet at points I felt like it caused me to lose my place. Some of the fight scenes were hard to follow, especially the first big magical fight scene. It was the introduction to this dark magical world and I would have like more explanation and clarity it to what in the world was happening. Once the initial explanations unfolded, the world building was well developed. It was dark, creative and well detailed, making it easy to visualize and immerse myself into the story. I really enjoyed the magical aspects but at times the plot seemed to drag. The ending was great, it was complete and brought all lose ends to a nice close.

Overall, I would recommend Winterspell if you are in the mood for a darker retelling with a well developed magical world. It does get slow at parts but in the end it is still a pretty enjoyable read!

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For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Title:For Darkness Shows the Stars
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #1
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date:June 12th 2012
Pages: Hardcover, 407 pages
Source: Library
Summary from Goodreads:
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.


Review

While I do know the summary of Persuasion, I have never actually read it. I had a rough idea of what I thought I was getting into but For Darkness Shows the Stars was so much more that I expected!  It blended an epic love story with science fiction in a different world.  I really enjoyed how Peterfreund handled the flashbacks; the reader is able to get a sense of history and see how Elliot and Kai's relationship was in the past.  The reader gets to read the letters exchanged between the two throughout their youth.

The characters' past help develop the characters and really force the reader to feel the tension between Malakai and Elliot in the present.  The tension is almost too hard to handle, it was difficult to feel the hurt and sadness that Elliot was facing. The love story between Malakai and Elliot was full of stubborn actions, hurt feelings, and rough tension yet it was beautiful, powerful, and ultimately heart warming.

The strong and well developed characters made it science fiction easier to handle.  At first I felt like I had to pay great attention to detail to make sure I was understanding the society and world the characters lived in.  After I had a handle on the overall science fiction concepts introduced, I was able to appreciate the uniqueness of the re-telling.  My only other reservation was the ending, I felt like the last chapters were a bit rushed; I had to deal with the tension between the characters for so long that I wanted more from them at the end.

Overall, I highly recommend For Darkness Shows the Stars, it was a beautiful retelling full of love and strong characters!  The science fiction took me a bit of time to wrap my head around but in the end it really did enrich the story.   I may even pick up Persuasion after this to see all the parallels.




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The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

Title:The Fairest Beauty
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Publisher: Zondervan
Release Date:January 8th 2013
Pages: Paperback, 323 pages
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:
A daring rescue.
A difficult choice.


Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmother's jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophie's one chance at freedom—but can she trust another person to keep her safe?

Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girl's inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossible—she is his brother's future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone else—he promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.

When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find help—but also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around them—they must also protect their hearts.


Review

The Fairest Beauty was a middle of the road Snow White retelling.  It started off pretty strong, I was immediately drawn into the classic tale but then about 40% through the book I just started to lose interest.  I no longer felt immersed in the story and just was ambivalent towards Sophie and Gabe.

The romance was pretty enjoyable; for a fairy tale it was surprising to not have a love at first sight, insta-love romance.  Sophie fell for Gabe throughout the story and vice-versa.  The love was cute and suited the storyline perfectly.  I did enjoy the twists and differences from the traditional fairy tale.  For example the seven dwarfs are in this story are seven unique men, each with his own personality and individualized appearance.  The character development was like the rest of the story, very average.  Not really bad but not really good. At some point they just kind of felt like words on a page, entertaining enough to finish the book but not to keep me up to all hours!

Overall, if you love Snow White, I would recommend The Fairest Beauty with the caveat that it is slow and drags a bit.  The slight changes in the storyline from the original make it a fun read as long as you are not looking for much depth to the story. 
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Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cress
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: February 4th 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 550 pages
Source: Bought

Summary from Goodreads:
Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.


Review


I got my copies of The Lunar Chronicles signed!  I was lucky enough to make it down to DC before a big snow storm to listen to Rebecca Soler do a reading from Cress and hear Marissa Meyer talk!  Rebecca Soler is the narrator for The Lunar Chronicles.  If you have not tried to listen to the audio books, I highly recommend them.  Even though I read all the books, it is the only series where I have listened to the audio version as well.  It was truly a treat to hear Rebecca do the voices for all the characters.

The 5 reasons you need to read Cress
1. Captain Thorne.  Everyone loved him in Scarlet; I was not sold yet, I thought he was funny but he was not my favorite.  My, Oh, my has he become one of my favorites.  There is quite of bit of unexpected circumstances that effect Thorne that had me completely shocked.  Not to mention, Throne has a new love interest which is perfect and his witty nature is in full force.  As said by his truly, " Never underestimate the stealth of a criminal mastermind."

2. Iko.  Iko is one of the best side kicks!  Some fun, great things happen to her that had me grinning.

3. No love triangles or messy romances.

4. To meet Cress!  She is an awesome, awkward, computer genius.  Cress is a marvelous addition to the crew and her unique personality complemented the story so well.

5.  Obviously you need to read Cress for the feels and the drama.  So many feels and so much happening.  While some parts of the story were easily anticipated, there were parts that I was not expecting at all.  Cress will keep you on edge the entire way through and begging for Winter.   

Bottom Line

Cress is truly a fantastic read, I devoured the book in just a couple of days. Cress does not suffer from any middle book syndrome; there was action, drama, and romance throughout the whole book.  If you have to read this one yet or even started the series, I highly recommend it :)
  
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Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Series: Dorothy Must Die #1
Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Pages: 432
Source: ALA Midwinter

Summary from Goodreads:
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know? 

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling. 

 What happened? Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe. 

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I've been trained to fight. And I have a mission: Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage. Then and only then—Dorothy must die!


Review

This book changed Oz for me forever. The Oz in this story was so vivid and horrifying that the innocence of it is lost to me. But it was epic.

This book is long and descriptive but I was so fascinated by it that I didn't much mind. But rather than me tell you, I think it's better that I show you.

Above is the Oz that we all know and love. And below, as shown through quotes, is the new Oz. 

The Tin Woodman:
"This Tin Woodman was not the Tin Woodman I remembered. By now I shouldn't have expected anything different - nothing was the way it was supposed to be in Dorothy's remade Oz. Still, I wasn't prepared for what I was looking at now. He looked more like a machine that had been cobbled together out of spare parts, a hodgepodge of scrap metal and springs and machinery pieces all held together by screws and bolts. His long, spindly legs were a complex construction of rods and springs and joints, and bend backward at his ankles like a horse's legs; his face was pinched and mean, with beady, flashing metal eyes and a thin, cylindrical nose that jutted out several inches from his face and ended in a nasty little point. His oversize jaw jutted out from the rest of his face in a nasty underbite, revealing a mess of little blades where his teeth should have been.
The only thing that was really familiar about him was the funnel-shaped hat he wore. I guess some things never change."
The Scarecrow:
"At Ozma's side stood a tall thin man dressed in a baby-blue, one-size-too-small suit. Beneath a small hat, bits of straw and yarn stuck out in every direction. His was was a skein of tightly pulled burlap with two unnervingly lifelike buttons sewn on in place of eyes. His lips were thin lines of embroidery stitched in pinkish-brown yarn underneath a painted on red triangle for a nose. His buttons were fixed right at me.
A chill shot through my body. It was the Scarecrow. Like the Tin Woodman, he had been twisted and warped into something I hardly recognized." 
Dorothy: 
"She was both exactly and nothing like I could have imagined. This was not the same girl I'd read about. She was wearing the dress, but it wasn't the dress exactly - it was as if someone had cut her familiar blue-checked jumper into a million little pieces and then put it back together again, only better. Better, and, okay, a little bit more revealing. Actually, more than a little bit. Not like I was judging.
Instead of a farm girl cotton it was silk and chiffon. The cut was somewhere between haute couture and French hooker. The bodice nipped, tucked, and lifted. There was cleavage.
Lots of cleavage.
Dorothy's books were out to here, her legs up to there. Her face was smooth and unblemished and perfect: her mouth shelacked in plasticky crimson, her eyes impeccably lined in silver and gold. Her eyelashes were so long and full that they probably created a breeze when she blinked. It was hard to tell how old she was. She looked like she could have been my age or years older. She looked immortal.
She had her hair pulled into two deep chestnut waves that cascaded down her shoulders, each one tied with a red ribbon. Her piercing blue eyes were trained right on me."
The Lion:
"Really, he was barely recognizable as a lion at all. He looked like a monster, like some warped nightmare version of the king of the jungle. He was huge and golden, with bulging, grotesque muscles and a filthy, snarled mane. His lips were curled back, baring a mouth crowded with sharp, long, crooked fangs.
At first, it looked like the Lion and the man were kissing. But they weren't - their mouths were inches apart, not quire touching. The man looked like he was struggling, but then his mouth fell open, too, as his face contorted in pain and something that looked like red smoke came spewing violently out of him. I couldn't tell whether it was vomit, or blood, or something worse. Whatever it was, the Lion lapped it up hungrily.
'What's he doing?' I asked in horror, gripping Nox's arm.
'The Lion eats the fear of others,' Nox explained in a whisper. 'It's how he survives. How he gets stronger.'"
And there is so much more where that came from- about the witches, and the land, and the Wizard and Ozma. This book is a complete re-imagining of Oz that is twisted and evil and fantastic.

The world-building was my favorite part and I think the most noteworthy part of the story. It's really the focus of book one, as the plot is a little slow to develop and only just getting started in the end. But there is the promise of greatness. I think the story that is developing is so much fun. I loved the idea that Dorothy is evil. I loved how Good was Wicked and Wicked was Good. I loved the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked and the plot to assassinate Dorothy. I enjoyed the magic. And the ancillary characters were strong. I felt kind of indifferent towards Amy herself, but I think she showed pretty good development so far, and she is likable. There is room for her to really grow on me as an MC.

I definitely recommend this. This is a standout book.

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REVIEW: My Name is Rapunzel by K.C. Hilton

Title: My Name is Rapunzel
Author: K. C. Hilton
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: November 22nd 2013
Pages: Paperback 302 pages
Source: Gifted

Summary from Goodreads:
My tale has been told again and again, and I’ve heard each one. Except for my hair, I barely recognize the pitiful renditions. Muddled versions, crafted to entertain laughing children…but the children wouldn’t have laughed if they’d known the real story. It wasn't their fault. They didn't know the truth. Nobody did.

My name is Rapunzel. I will tell you my story. I will tell you the truth.


  • The beginning/origin of Rapunzel was well developed and still had some aspects of the original while introducing the new story line.  
  • I thought it was clever how Rapunzel mentioned that she sold her story to the Brothers Grimm.  She was aware of how crazy her story was and even joked that the brothers ruined her story by changing it all. 
  • As time progressed Rapunzel is forced to adapt to modern technology.  The way Rapunzel resists modern technology like plumbing was amusing.  She is also introduced to computers and the Internet. The transition from old times to today was well thought out and flowed smoothly. It gave the story a nice new spin to it.  
  • The love story started out very fairy tale-like (which in this case was not a bad thing).  The romance as fast and destined for eternity but cursed by the evil witch.  As the story progressed into modern times there was some insta-love that was just unbelievable and did not feel right.  
  • The ending was still a perfect fairy tale so that was great :)

  • The twist was pretty easy to guess early on so that was rather disappointing.  
  • The story was entertaining but it was not super amazing (like Cinder and Scarlet).  I would not say do not read it by any means but it is not one of my favorite re-tellings.  There were some aspects that were unique to this re-telling but the story line stayed quite true to the original.  
  • As mentioned earlier the insta-love that occurs seemed so forced and against the true love fairy tale nature of the story.  
  • While I enjoyed the integration of modern times with the original fairy tale I thought some aspects of like the dragon did not blend well with modern times.  How can a dragon fly around for over 100 years and never be seen by anyone. 

My Name is Rapunzel is an entertaining and amusing fairy tale re-telling; the plot is rather predictable at times and sometimes a bit unbelievable but overall it was still an enjoyable read.
  

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REVIEW: Lady Thief (Scarlet #2) by A. C. Gaughen

Title: Lady Thief
Series: Scarlet #2
Author: A. C. Gaughen
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Pages: 304
Source: ARC obtained at ALAMW

Summary from Goodreads:
Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.


"'A knife-wielding lady who cut off her own hair to fight a thief taker? There aren't many of you in the world, my lady.'"
This book. THIS book. I liked Scarlet well enough but I LOVED Lady Thief. It was so much MORE in every way that matters:

More LOVE
Between Rob and Scar
Within the Band
From the people of Nottingham

More HATE
Towards Gisbourne
and Prince John
Between the people to the nobility

More LOYALTY
Scar for Rob and Rob for Scar
To the people
From Gisbourne to Scar

More ALLIES
Winchester
Eleanor
Allan

More FOES
Prince John
de Clare
Isabel

More LOSS
In part
and in whole

More GAIN
In family
In triumph

More ACTION
Competitions
Riots
And of course, thievery ;)

I could go on and on. Lady Thief is MORE MORE MORE. So naturally I loved it MORE! :)

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